Coptic textile fragments, unknown maker from Egypt

Artwork Overview

Coptic textile fragments
Coptic textile fragments
Coptic textile fragments
Coptic period (300 CE–700 CE)
Coptic textile fragments , Coptic period (300 CE–700 CE)
Where object was made: Egypt
Material/technique: linen
Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial
Accession number: 1928.0116.a,b
Not on display
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Label texts

Teaching Gallery: Coptic Textiles
The Herakles Knot in the center is closely associated with marriage and is a symbol of protection from evil. The two figures are likely Dionysian dancers. Each fragment has a crenellated border.
Exhibition Label: Dec-2010 Since the first century, the Coptic Church, which is said to have been founded by Saint Mark, has been the major Christian community in Egypt. During controversies that arose in the fifth century, the Catholic Church condemned the Coptic Church as a heretical sect, leaving it to develop independently. These textile fragments demonstrate the lively mix of classical, Near Eastern, and Christian motifs that characterized early Coptic art. Furthermore, their ornate designs may indicate that they served as adornments for the wool and linen garments that were widely used by Coptic communities.

Exhibitions

Teaching Gallery: Coptic Textiles
Tashia Dare, curator
2012

Citations

Stokstad, Marilyn, ed. The Handbook of the Museum of Art. Lawrence, Kansas: The University of Kansas, 1962.

The Medieval Collections of the Museum of Art. Lawrence, Kansas: The University of Kansas Museum of Art, 1963.